


Seashells Are Like Love Letters in the Sand

by Lopithecus



Series: KakaGai Week 2020 [8]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Tenten - Freeform, Uzumaki Naruto - Freeform, brief mentions of: - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28480380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lopithecus/pseuds/Lopithecus
Summary: "Seashells remind me of a life full of beautiful surprises. We are like seashells upon the beach. Beautiful and unique, each with a story of its own to tell. Seashells are like love letters in the sand. Shells on the beach remind me that treasure arrives every day in the form of simple things."[X]Kakashi gives Gai his birthday present
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy
Series: KakaGai Week 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074056
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30
Collections: KakaGai Week 2020 entries





	Seashells Are Like Love Letters in the Sand

**Author's Note:**

> For Day 8 of KakaGai Week 2020.
> 
> ❤❤ Happy birthday to our beautiful boy, Gai, and a Happy New Year! ❤❤
> 
> I don’t know when this is supposed to take place? It doesn’t really fit anywhere in canon considering Team 7 meets Team Gai at the Chunin exams and then Sasuke defects soon after that, not to mention Lee needing surgery, but I wanted the youngin’s to be Genins in this story. I don’t know why considering they literally do nothing but sleep in this fic, but whatever. Fit this wherever you would like in the timeline. :)
> 
> Kakashi and Gai are not together in the beginning.
> 
> Fun little fact if you’re interested. Since there are eight days to this week event, I did four fics in Gai’s pov and four in Kakashi’s pov. :)
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Prompt - Day 8: Birthday

Gai watches the flame of the campfire as the sounds of snoring surround him. It’s late at night and Gai and Kakashi’s Genin students are sleeping as the two Jonin teachers keep watch. They had been sent on a joint team mission to strengthen ties among each other and to teach the kids how to work well in bigger groups than the usual four. The mission had only been a simple C-rank so nothing too tough but it was still a good learning opportunity in Gai’s opinion.

It had only taken them two days to reach their destination and once there, the mission had taken three hours, tops. It had been a subject of complaint from Naruto as they walked back to the village, the young child never shutting up. Gai had wondered if the annoyance he had felt at the time is the same annoyance Kakashi feels when Gai won’t stop talking. Either way, Gai had wanted to continue making their way home through the night, something his team could have done easily, but all three of Kakashi’s students had started to complain adamantly the moment Gai had suggested it. Tenten then joined in with the complaining and, the traitor that he is, Kakashi had agreed with the four of them.

That’s how Gai finds himself sitting in front of the campfire, legs crossed, as he watches over them with Kakashi. The fire is warm, all the kids asleep around it, and somewhere in the distance, Gai can hear crickets. It’s kind of peaceful and Gai reminds himself to ask Kakashi on a camping trip someday when they aren’t dirty and tired from a mission.

Kakashi jumps down from the tree that is just behind Gai, landing lightly. He walks up to Gai, footfalls silent among the rest of the noises. “Hey, Gai.” He sits down beside Gai, crossing his legs like Gai is doing. He holds his hand out towards Gai. “Happy birthday.” Gai’s eyes widen in surprise. “I’m sorry we had to spend it on a mission.”

Gai shrugs. “Not the first time and it won’t be the last time.”

“Still,” Kakashi continues. “I would have rather had spent it back in the village with you. Here.” He unfurls his hand, letting Gai see what is in it. “Your present.”

Gai picks it up and examines it. It’s a small striped fox seashell, about the size of one-fourth of Gai’s palm. He turns it around in his palm, angling his hand so the light from the fire better reflects on the surface. It’s a beautiful seashell.

“Does it remind you of anything?” Kakashi asks, voice low so he doesn’t wake the kids.

Gai looks at his friend, trying to figure out what Kakashi is getting at by bringing up that particular memory. “You and I were on a mission with Genma and Asuma. We were maybe thirteen at the time. We took a detour on what we had thought was a faster route to our destination because we had been traveling for days at that point. Instead, we came across a beach. Genma and Asuma wanted to rest there but since you were the captain, you tried to deny this request. So, I challenged you to a seashell collecting contest while those two took a break. You agreed.” Gai shrugs. “And you won, if I recall.”

“I did,” Kakashi agrees. “Not by much though. Do you remember what happened afterward?”

“Before or after I had promised to do three hundred laps around the village on my hands in order to do better next time?” Gai questions.

Kakashi chuckles. “After.”

Gai peers back down at the shell, a fond, wistful smile playing at his lips. “I kissed you.” He gives Kakashi a sidelong look. “And you pushed me away, yelling to never do that ever again.” He then gives Kakashi a teasing smile, cupping his hand gently closed around the shell. “Your yelling gave our position away to the enemy and we got ambushed. In the fight, we accidentally broke all of the shells we collected.”

Kakashi scowls, crossing his arms. “That is  _ not _ why our position was given away. None of us even knew the enemy was that close.”

“Well, it certainly wasn’t Asuma and Genma’s fault who were off dozing,” Gai counters, laughter bubbling up from his chest.

Kakashi playfully shoves him away. “Shut up.” They sit there laughing for a few seconds, trying to stay as quiet as possible in order to not wake the others. When they sober, Kakashi leans forward to rest his chin in the palm of his hand, elbow pressing into his knee. “What do you say to a challenge? Once we get home that is. It can be a belated birthday gift.”

“Not that I’m turning down a challenge but you already gave me a gift,” Gai says, holding up the shell.

“This will be another one.” Kakashi shrugs. “What do you say?”

Gai smiles at him, wide and excited. “Of course! What kind of challenge will it be, Rival?”

“Hmm,” Kakashi mocks thinking. There is a twinkle in his eye. “Another seashell collecting challenge since we never were able to do it again. We’ll head to a beach near Konoha and see who can collect the most.”

“That sounds perfect!” he says, a little too loud. Tenten groans in her sleep but doesn’t’ wake, turning over to her other side. Gai continues more quietly, looking back down at the shell in his hand. “Where did you get this?”

Kakashi sits up, letting his arm fall to his lap. “Remember when we thought all the shells had broken in our fight?” Gai nods. “This one survived.”

“And you kept it all these years?” Gai exclaims, amazed at his friend. “Kakashi-”

“I wasn’t done explaining the challenge,” Kakashi says, cutting Gai off. “What would you say, if after the challenge, I let you kiss me again and this time I don’t push you away and instead kiss you back?”

Gai stares at Kakashi, trying to figure out if he means it. His Rival’s eyes are soft and loving and it makes Gai’s heart melt. Gai’s smile turns warm and he leans a little closer to Kakashi so that their faces are mere inches apart. Kakashi doesn’t pull away. He sits there and watches Gai, letting him get close. Gai holds the shell close to his chest, treasuring the gift his friend has given him.

“I would say,” Gai answers, voice low and soft. “Challenge accepted.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope everyone had a great New Year! Here's to hopefully a better year!
> 
> [Tumblr](https://angelcamael.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Fanfiction Tumblr](https://lopithecusfanfiction.tumblr.com/)


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